Cloudy Skies
by YuYuFanatic14
Summary: Mitarai has escaped both his mother and Sensui, and now lives a happier life with Kuwabara and his friends. However, a sudden car crash changes this. Will Kuwabara be able to restore his memories? Or, more importantly, will he even want to?
1. Chapter 1

Wow, it's been a long time. Okay, this is short, yes, but I plan on having the next bit out within a week or so. This is a continuation of the Murky Waters verse: that story will eventually be going through revisions in order to work better with this one. I'll put notes on my profile/in here when I do so. (Letting you know up front, I have rather limited medical knowledge. Don't expect me to get things perfect, okay? ;) Hope you guys like this!

...

Jumbled noise swam to his ears as if through thick cotton. A dull ache pulsed throughout his body. Faintly he could pick out the sounds of screams, the crunching of glass and metal and, permeating through it all, the panicked shouts of a young male.

"He's still in there! Please, you have to do something!"

Why was he so upset? He tried to lift his head, say something to calm the boy down. He couldn't move. His eyelids seemed glued shut. There was another sickening crunch and suddenly he was falling, falling…

...

Finally he opened his eyes. The world around him was blurry, yet colorful. Feeling sick he closed them again, letting out a weak groan.

"Is he awake?"

The voice was rough and loud; Mitarai didn't recognize it. A different voice replied, more cocky and drawling.

"He's _going_ to be awake if you don't shut up."

Well, excuse me for being worried, Urameshi. I thought I heard something this time."

There was the sound of a curtain being pulled back. Mitarai gingerly opened his eyes again; at least this time things were slightly clearer. A tall boy with red hair and a bandaged face stood in front of him, next to a shorter boy with slicked-back black hair.

"Feeling all right?" the shorter one asked with a smile. "This guy here's been worried sick about you."

Mitarai nodded silently, wracking his brains to try and figure out who these boys were- they looked like the kind of boys that would always beat him up; why would they care about him, be in his… hospital room?

"What happened?" his voice was weak and raspy. The redhead moved to the bedside table and poured a glass of water with shaking hands.

"We were… in an accident," he said, offering Mitarai the glass. Hesitantly Mitarai accepted, but didn't drink. Something was wrong here…

"But… why were we in a car together?" he asked. They acted as if they knew him, but he couldn't place their faces. "I can't remember…"

The dark haired boy frowned. The redhead's eyes widened, his face pale.

"What… what d'you mean?"

Mitarai gazed up at the boy with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, but I think you two have made a mistake. I don't know who you are."


	2. Chapter 2

So.. this one doesn't end in the best of places, but I wanted to give you a new chapter. Not sure when the next one will be coming- lots of testing at school this week, and SATs, however I hope to get it done fairly quickly. Hope you guys like this.

...

A car crash. Of all the things to happen to them, it had to be a perfectly normal, average _car crash._ Kuwabara stared hopelessly at the wreckage, the twisted heap of metal his car had become. The emergency crews had arrived, gotten him out safely… But Mitarai was still trapped inside.

Were he alone, he would have torn the car to pieces with his Spirit Sword without a second thought, but… He clenched his fists. That obviously was not an option.

"Sir, we need you to stand back. Your friend will be safe. Let the paramedics treat-"

"I'm fine!" Kuwabara insisted through gritted teeth. He didn't feel his bleeding temple, nor did he care. His side of the car had not been hit nearly as badly as Mitarai's…

The roof, deeply indented from the force of the impact, was finally removed from the car with the shrill grating of steel on steel. Kuwabara pushed past the man, heart pounding, blood thundering in his ears. He grabbed the handle of the passenger side door, wrenched it open…

Blood trickled slowly down the left side of Mitarai's face, past a darkly bruised eye and cheekbone, down to his chin where it dripped, not quite steadily, to the floor. His eyes were closed.

"Mitarai?" He stepped forward, searching desperately for some sign of life, anything. His Spirit Energy was so weak… "Can you hear me?"

No response.

"C'mon, you can't be… please…" Slowly, gingerly, oblivious to the chaos around him, Kuwabara touched the slender boy's shoulder.

Finally those deep blue eyes fluttered open halfway, gazing at Kuwabara uncomprehendingly.

"W-what…?"

"Just relax. You're gonna be okay." He was alive. It was as if a weight had been lifted from Kuwabara's shoulders. He watched on, exhausted with relief as Mitarai slipped back into unconsciousness, let the paramedics move him aside to be bandaged. Mitarai was alive. All was right with the world.

...

How could he have been so naïve? Kuwabara groaned, face buried in his hands as he sat in the visitor's lounge down the hall from Mitarai's room. He'd had head trauma; why hadn't he thought of this? He'd just gone straight into the room, expected Mitarai to… what, exactly?

"Hey, stupid, I'm talking to you!"

He took a half-hearted swipe at Yusuke, who dodged it easily. "Leave me alone, Urameshi."

The black-haired boy's face lost its joking edge. He sat backwards in the chair next to Kuwabara and fixed him with a serious gaze.

"Look, I know this sucks. He was your boyfriend, and now…" he trailed off. "I get it. But instead of just wallowing in this, how 'bout you get up and _ask_ somebody what we can to do fix this? People get hit in the head all the time."

"I guess so." Kuwabara rested his chin in his hand, looking pensive. "…But what if he never remembers me?"

Yusuke slapped him upside the head. "Don't say that. I'm gonna go call Kurama and get the group up here. You go talk to him."

Kuwabara nodded absently and watched the other boy walk down the hallway until he turned the corner. Finally he let out a sigh and stood, though he did not move towards the blonde's room.

Why couldn't he just _make_ himself do this? Was he really letting f_ear_ get the best of him? He was Kazuma Kuwabara, the toughest punk in Sarayashiki! Afraid of nothing!

Someone behind him cleared their throat and he turned to see a nurse bow politely.

"Excuse me sir… Mr. Mitarai has asked for you."

Except for his boyfriend not remembering who he was. Kuwabara sighed again but followed the woman back down the hall.

"You came back." Mitarai did not look up as he said this; rather, his attention was fixed solely on his hands, playing with the coverlet. He favored his left arm… the doctors had said it'd been broken in the crash.

"'Course I did," Kuwabara replied, a little louder than necessary. Glancing around to check if he'd disturbed anyone, he cleared his throat and continued in a lower voice. "I wouldn't give up on a friend just because they were having problems."

"About that…" Mitarai bit his lip. "I want to believe you, but it's sort of hard… since you and Mr. Urameshi… well…"

He gestured lamely at Kuwabara, whose muscles were plainly visible through the thin material of his t-shirt. The older boy glanced down at himself, then back at Mitarai.

"Are you… scared of me?"

Mitarai hastily shook his head. "N-no! I…"

But the damage was done. Kuwabara leaned back in his chair, mind blank, not knowing what to say. Mitarai looked miserable.

"I didn't mean that," he said quietly. Kuwabara didn't respond.

"Didn't mean what?" Yusuke entered the room then, Hiei, Kurama and Botan in tow.

"Nothing," Mitarai said hastily. His eyes widened as he saw the newcomers. "Mr. Urameshi? Who are these people?"

"Hey." Yusuke leaned over the foot of the bed, grinning. "I spent way too much time getting you to call me Yusuke the first time around. Don't get formal on me now."

Mitarai offered a small smile in return. "I'll try."

"Now, these people… that's Botan, she's from Spirit World. Helps us out, patches us up. An' these two are Kurama and Hiei. They're part of our team."

"I knew all of you?"

Kurama inclined his head. "It is a bit much to get used to, I'll admit. But I assure you, we were friends."

"Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. Right, Kuwabara?" Yusuke frowned when the redhead gave no indication of having heard.

"Earth to Kuwabara! Were you even listening to me?" Kurama shot him a look which he ignored. "Tell him all about-"

"Maybe you should stop, Yusuke," Botan interrupted, looking uncomfortable. "You're bending policy enough as it is, since he doesn't know…"

"He knows, he just doesn't remember," Yusuke retorted. "How's he supposed to if you won't-"

"Can you guys just shut up, already?" Their attentions jumped back to Kuwabara, who had spoken up for the first time since they'd entered the room. "You're not gonna make it any better talking over his head like that." He paused for a moment, gazing at Mitarai with a strange expression on his face. "Just leave it alone."

There was another silence, then Kurama motioned to Yusuke and the others to follow him outside. Once the door had closed, Mitarai let out a tense breath and smiled uncertainly at Kuwabara.

"Thank you… There's a lot that I've forgotten, isn't there?"

Kuwabara nodded slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. _Scared of you. _"Yeah, but don't worry about it. They'll find a way to get you back to normal." _He's scared of you._ "And if they don't…" he shrugged, grimacing at how strained his voice sounded. "…we'll figure something out."


	3. Chapter 3

So here's chapter 3. I'm sorry these aren't particularly long so far. School and other writing projects are going pretty consuming. I hope you guys like this, and I'll try to get the next bit out within a week or so. :)

* * *

"What were you _thinking?_" Shizuru demanded the moment they walked through the door. She looked as though she'd been pacing ever since receiving Kuwabara's call, planning the exact tirade she would throw at her little brother. "You could've gotten yourselves killed!"

"It's not like I was _planning_ on getting into an accident, sis!" Kuwabara replied defensively. "That's why it's called an _accident_." He shrank back at the murderous glare she shot him. "Okay, okay, I'll be more careful next time… is Dad angry?"

Shizuru sighed, crossing her arms. "Somehow, no. But _you're_ going to pay the repair bill." She turned her attention then to Mitarai, who'd remained uncertainly on the doorstep, watching the siblings' conversation. "How're you feeling, kid?"

"I feel fine, thank you," Mitarai replied politely. Finally he stepped inside the house, gazing around with curiosity at the small foyer.

Kuwabara watched him, saying nothing, unsure of what to do next. Once the doctors had bandaged them up and released them (Kuwabara neglected to mention the amnesia for several reasons), Mitarai had gotten curious enough to ask how he was supposed to get home, and if his mother had been told. Reluctantly Kuwabara had informed him of their living arrangements, which had elicited a long silence on Mitarai's part as they waited outside the hospital for a taxi.

"But what about school?" the blonde had asked after several minutes. "I'm not still signed up in Mushiyori, am I?"

"Nah, you go to school with us now," Yusuke had replied, still way too cheerful for the situation.

…Yusuke had ended up explaining most of the changes, it seemed. Kuwabara _wanted_ to help, he really did, but every time he looked at Mitarai the memory of the experiences they'd shared together, what they'd had, played through his mind, along with that awful, nagging voice that only reinforced the notion that things would never go back to normal.

But even if they could, was "normal" such a good idea, anyway? Before the accident, Mitarai had been plagued almost every day with memories; of his mother, of Sensui, of his classmates at his old school, of Chapter Black and the ensuing chaos and depression that almost led to his suicide. Wouldn't it be kinder to simply let those memories fade away into oblivion, like a bad dream? He'd promised to protect Mitarai, and if that meant from himself… so be it.

...

Mitarai perched gingerly on the edge of the bed, not quite ready to pull back the sheets yet. The room was dark, but he could still see; the dully burning lamppost outside cast a dim orange glow into the room. A makeshift bed lay on the floor a few feet away.

Despite having just "met" Kuwabara a few hours ago, things weren't too awkward (yet). His family was kind, and patient with him even when he couldn't remember the simplest things, like where the silverware was, or the bathroom, or…

Mitarai fell backwards onto the sheets with a sigh. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He just felt so _lost…_ as if he'd been dropped off in a foreign country and didn't know any of the customs. How did they plan on making him remember everything?

…What, exactly, was he _supposed_ to remember? He and Kuwabara hadn't been classmates- they didn't even live in the same city! All those other people, they'd said over and over that they'd been friends before, but… For all he knew he'd been taken to a stranger's house. He didn't want to be a burden, but he wasn't sure how possible that would be, considering Kuwabara had insisted he take the bed in- he swallowed hard- _their_ room.

He trusted Kuwabara- he _did_, he insisted to himself, irritated at the knot of anxiety coiling in his gut- but there was no denying the fact that Kuwabara was strong, much stronger than he himself was. What if, while he was sleeping, Kuwabara came in and-

"No! He wouldn't do that!"

Mitarai blinked in surprise at his own vehement denial. Where had that come from? He sat in silence for a few minutes, just letting the wave of emotions wash over him. Was this memories coming back?

He rolled over onto his side, staring pensively out the window. If he was remembering things already, maybe all this would be over soon… and Kuwabara and Yusuke and the others could have their old friend back.

...

_Pain. Shame. Laughter, cold and unamused. He tries to escape- hands are grabbing at him, holding him down, burning every part of him they touch. A voice whispers in his ear, calm and confident, but he can't understand what it's saying because there's a little boy screaming, screaming so loud and in so much pain that tears are coming to his eyes, too… There's a knife. Glinting in the light, beckoning to him. He takes it, stares at his reflection in the blade- thin, waxy skin, pale as death-_

Mitarai shot up in bed, panting, covered in sweat. That had all just… been a dream? It had all felt so vivid, so _real…_ Suddenly he remembered where he was and glanced at the floor where the older boy lay sprawled asleep.

Asleep. So he hadn't woken Kuwabara. Good. As noiselessly as possible Mitarai rose from the bed and tiptoed down the hall to the bathroom. He closed the door soundlessly and locked it, then sank to the cold tile, buried his face in his knees, and concentrated on just breathing until the faint chirping of birds began to fill the early morning air.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I know I said a week... and it's been a month... and this is pathetically short. I apologize. Things are busy, and inspiration is in short supply. I can make no promises about when chapter 5 will be out, but I hope you people are liking this at least a little bit.

* * *

Mitarai hadn't noticed he'd dozed off until a jolt of pain in his arm caused him to jerk back upright. He cradled the limb gingerly, hissing as even that light touch brought tears to his eyes. It needed to be put in a sling. Maybe he'd ask Shizuru- no. He'd find the supplies and do it himself. He didn't want to be a burden.

He stood and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His skin was pale, save for the ugly dark bruise over his left eye. Almost like his… dream…

_Had_ that been a dream? Those scenes seemed so familiar, somehow. Were they the memories he had lost? He averted his gaze from his reflection in the mirror and splashed some water on his face. If so, maybe he didn't want to remember anymore… But then he'd be disappointing Yusuke and Kuwabara. His stomach roiled at the thought.

Well, what _did_ he remember? Maybe, if he could piece together enough fragments, he'd be able to fake it.

Suddenly there was a tap at the door.

"Hey, kid, you in there?"

It was only Shizuru. Mitarai let out the breath he'd been holding and moved to open the door. The brunette's customary (how had he known that?) calm expression reassured him.

"There you are. I figured you'd be in here, since I didn't see you in Kazuma's room."

Mitarai didn't respond. Shizuru paused, then, as if suddenly remembering something, gestured towards him with a small basket.

"C'mon downstairs. I'll take care of that arm."

"Oh, n-no, I… I can do it myself…"

She glared at him, and hurriedly he shut his mouth. She led him to the dining room and then sat him down in a chair with such force that he blinked fearfully up at her, wondering what he'd done wrong.

"At least your personality hasn't changed with all that knocking you gave your head," Shizuru remarked. Though her voice was tense, her hands were gentle as she rolled up his sleeve and began to examine his arm. Mitarai tried not to watch; it hurt less if he pretended the limb didn't belong to him.

"We're worried about you," she said at last, once she'd finished wrapping his elbow. "And after that dream you had last night-"

Mitarai pulled his arm away and stared at her. "What?" Was the entire family psychic?

Shizuru shot him another stern look. "Let me finish. When you start getting your memories back, not everything is going to be as peachy as you'd like. Just promise me that you'll come to me or Kazuma if something's bothering you."

"What happened to me?" Mitarai demanded suddenly, surprising himself with his boldness. "You're all treating me like I'm going to- to…" he shook his head in frustration. "_break._"

Shizuru sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Listen, kid… Mitarai… I couldn't help you even if I thought it was the right thing to do. Kazuma knows more about it, and besides… that's between you and him, not me." She placed a reassuring hand on his uninjured shoulder. "Kazuma's a nice guy. Talk to him."

Footsteps were heard overhead. Shizuru stood, beginning to clear away the first-aid supplies.

"Breakfast'll be soon," she said quietly. "You can go back up and sleep if you want 'till then."

...

Kuwabara shifted in his blankets on the floor, gazing at the door Mitarai had left ajar. Should he follow? He'd heard the dream, sensed Mitarai's fear, knew what the blonde would be going through. Nightmares had been a common enough occurrence… before.

But would his help be appreciated? Mitarai didn't know- didn't _remember_- that his secrets were all but common knowledge to the group, to Kuwabara's family. He wouldn't be expecting help; he'd try to hide it, bury it, get by like he'd done before.

Mind suddenly made up, Kuwabara stood and strode out into the hallway- Shizuru was already at the bathroom door, speaking softly to the boy within.

Quickly, silently, before she could see him, Kuwabara backed up and closed the door. Mitarai didn't need him after all.


End file.
